1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to hand-held, portable drop-lights and, in particular, to a drop light possessing a moveable lamp socket to facilitate easy and safe light bulb replacement.
2. Description of the Related Art
The need often arises in homes and shops to illuminate areas that are not adequately illuminated by installed light fixtures. Flashlights are sometimes used in these circumstances, however, flashlights generally offer less illumination than hardwired lights. Further, the light from a flashlight is typically focused, whereas diffused illumination is often required. In order to circumvent these problems, portable drop-lights are often utilized.
Generally, drop-lights utilize incandescent or fluorescent bulbs. Fluorescent bulbs are often preferred, as they are more efficient than incandescent bulbs. A fluorescent bulb can produce between 50 and 100 lumens per watt, compared to an incandescent bulb, which produces around 15 lumens per watt. Additionally, fluorescent bulbs typically operate at a cooler temperature than incandescent bulbs, making the drop-light easier to handle.
In general, a fluorescent drop-light consists of a housing, a handle, a bulb socket, a fluorescent bulb, a cover, and electrical components. The housing is hollow, with an opening at the top of the handle which allows access to a hollow area in which the bulb is placed. Inside the housing, the fluorescent bulb is inserted into the socket, which is located near the top of the handle. The cover is secured to the housing to protect the fluorescent bulb. Electrical components, which communicate with a source of electrical power, are also typically found within the handle.
A common problem with fluorescent drop-lights is that spent fluorescent bulbs are difficult to replace. In order to change a spent bulb, the bulb is removed from the socket. The hollow in which the bulb resides, though, is typically only slightly larger than the bulb itself, making it difficult for a user to insert their fingers within the opening to remove a spent bulb, especially if the user has big hands and/or fingers. Furthermore, as drop-lights are often used within industrial and home garage environments, there is a significant likelihood that oil or another slick liquid may reside on the hands of the user, further increasing the difficulty of removing a spent bulb from the drop-light housing. Given the difficulty of removing the bulb, the user may become impatient and utilize excessive force to free the bulb, breaking the bulb in the process. Broken fluorescent bulbs are a danger to the user, due to the risk of injury from broken glass, as well as from exposure to mercury contained within the bulb.
One solution to the bulb removal problem is to enlarge the housing to allow the user greater room to grip the bulb within the housing. However, enlarging the housing generally increases the overall size and weight of the portable hand-held drop-light, making the light more cumbersome. Further, the cost of manufacturing the light could rise due to of the expense of additional material to fabricate the housing.
Other attempts to solve this problem have also been unsatisfying. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,123,434 to Meltzer (“Meltzer”) addresses the issue of replacing bulbs in fluorescent drop lights by creating a drop-light in which possesses a lampholder lens which fits within the housing opening and provides a socket for placement of the bulb. The lampholder lens and lamp pivot together as much as 90 degrees along two arcuate tracks located within the housing to allow a user access to the bulb outside the housing.
The Meltzer design exposes the user to several dangers during use, however. When the Meltzer lampholder lens and bulb are pivoted to a 90 degree angle, the electrical components may become exposed to the user. If the electrical components are connected to an electrical power source when the user changes the bulb, the user can be exposed to risk of electrical shock from the exposed electrical components.
Further, Meltzer does not teach an easier way to change the bulb. Despite that the bulb and lampholder lens pivot to expose the bulb outside the housing, the bulb is still surrounded by the lampholder lens, as the two are interconnected and move together. Because the space between the lampholder lens and the bulb is typically small, the user must remove the bulb with unobstructed access to only one side of the bulb. Thus, a light employing the Meltzer design still presents the user with difficulty accessing the bulb for removal, with the attendant problems discussed above.
Moreover, the Meltzer design may become more difficult to use over time. Drop-lamps are often used in relatively dirty environments and the arcuate tracks used to pivot the lampholder lens and bulb are exposed to the environment when pivoting the bulb and lens. Hence, dust and debris may get into the tracks, preventing the lampholder lens from sliding easily along the arcuate tracks to move the lampholder lens in and out the housing. As a result, the user may use force to move the lens and damage the lampholder lens and/or bulb.
From the foregoing, it can be seen that there is a continuing need for a portable hand-held drop-light that allows for easy and safe replacement of fluorescent bulbs. To this end, there is a need for a lamp that allows the user greater access to spent bulbs for easier replacement and limits exposure of the user to potentially energized electronic components.